“Thanks,” said Fin, sounding even more snarky than usual. “How ‘bout I bring you a cold pint of ‘kiss my ass’ before I kick you out?”
“Mind your manners,” Asher warned. “Or have you forgotten your debt to me?”
That deflated Fin, but only a little. “Fine,” he said. “Just…stop creeping out the waitress, alright?” He threw a look at ladies’ room again. “She’s got enough on her mind.”
He turned to Asher and met the Envoy’s gaze, eyes wide. It was a last resort, the best he could do before things got ugly. If this didn’t say, ‘piss off,’ nothing would. An Envoy visit to Pittsburgh was NOT part of the plan, and Asher was about to ruin things. Where there was one, there was likely another, lurking, listening.
To Fin’s surprise, Asher stood and turned toward the door, which encouraged him to beat his chest a little.
“In fact, stay away from the girls altogether, okay? That’s why you’re here, right? Morbid Envoy curiosity?”
Asher stopped mid-step, spun around, and put his face close to Fin’s.
Fin struggled and failed to avoid Asher’s stare.
“You forget your place, slave,” Asher said. “Ever defiant, but you are no Guardian, nor will you ever be. You are far too selfish to be trusted with such a duty. And if Woodfork sent you here to protect the girls, I should inform him that you’ve failed.” Asher turned toward the door again, took a few steps, and then he stopped and spoke sharply over his shoulder.
“I see onlyonegirl, Fin.” Asher’s eyes erupted into an electrical storm, and Fin’s face fell. He knew what that meant.
Holly wasn’t coming home.
Chapter six
The Hope
"Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity." – Robert G. Ingersoll
Hailey ran into the ladies’ room to recompose but instead found herself trapped in a stall when two of Fin’s scantily-dressed fans promenaded in and parked in front of the mirror.
Call it pride, but Hailey didn’t want them to see her cry face, so she sighed and waited next to the toilet for them to leave. It sounded like they were just fluffing each other’s hair anyway, which Hailey figured shouldn’t take long, but then they started comparing notes on Fin—his clothes, his muscles, which of them he’d looked at first, which of them he was more likely to take home first…on and on it went.
Hailey was stuck.
She’d been so quiet in her stall, they obviously had no idea she was in there listening. And now it would seem like she’d been eavesdropping if she suddenly burst out. She weighed her options and decided to ride this one out…and eavesdrop.
“Did you see his tattoo?” said one.
Hailey didn’t even know Fin had a tattoo.
“Oh. My. God. I bet it goes all the way up his arm,” the other gushed. She smacked her lips. “Wonder how big it is.” It sounded like she was putting on lipstick.
“You would, whore.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Whatever.”
They both laughed.
Hailey felt like she was getting dumber as their babble continued—their makeup, their highlights, how their boobs fit into their tank tops, whether they thought Fin noticed their cleavage…it was never ending.
Hailey rolled her eyes. It was way too cold for a tank top.
“Seriously, he has got to bethesexiest guy I’ve ever seen,” said one.
“Not as sexy as the guy that just walked in here,” hissed the other. “Did you see him?”
“How could I not? That idiot waitress spilled beer all over him.”
